Stress got you down? If so, there are a number of steps that you can take to help combat high stress levels and get to a healthier place.

Stress will take a toll on your body and can put you at a higher risk of stroke, obesity, diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease. Clearly all things that must be avoided.

The good news is that you can combat stress as long as you implement a few strategies.

Here’s what to know.

Keep Things In Perspective

When dealing with stressful things, it’s important to keep it in perspective. For instance, just how impactful is whatever you are stressing about on your life? Usually, it’s not that big of an issue at all.

But yet, we make it out to be a giant thing while we’re stressing out about it. Take a deep breath and really think what the worst case scenario is. Usually it’s not that bad.

Sweat It Out

Next, consider sweating it out. There are few things like a good, intense workout to help combat extra stress in your life. Take 20 minutes and hit the gym. You’ll come out feeling a million times better than when you went in.

Try interval training or hit the weights for a heavy weight lifting workout.

Get More Sleep

It’s also important that you focus on getting enough sleep. You’ll be able to deal with everything better when you are well rested.

Those who are short on sleep and stressed will very often have a short fuse and be unable to cope. Lack of sleep can really put a damper on your energy levels and motivation, two things that are required for successful stress coping mechanisms.

Schedule ‘You’ Time

Finally, focus on finding some ‘you’ time each week. Schedule an hour or two and do something that is just for you each week.

This will give you something to look forward to and if it’s something that you can lose yourself doing, will go a long way towards helping ease your stress levels.

When you can get lost in something – called being in a ‘flow’ state, you’ll temporarily forget whatever it is you are stressing about and you’ll find you can face those stressors head on when you need to deal with them again.